


You're My Best Friend

by NoSleepUntilVacation



Series: That Sweet Soul Music [2]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Cute, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Post-Undertale Pacifist Route, Romantic Fluff, Stargazing, mentioned Alphyne kids
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-13
Updated: 2018-04-13
Packaged: 2019-04-22 11:04:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14307297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoSleepUntilVacation/pseuds/NoSleepUntilVacation
Summary: As he stargazes with his boyfriend in the shade of Mt. Ebbot, Mettaton gets a little philosophical... and asks a very important question.





	You're My Best Friend

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the song "You're My Best Friend" by Queen.
> 
> Also, this story is so fluffy that I think I've eaten pancakes that were denser than this, so be warned.

As unpredictable as Mettaton could be sometimes, no one had any doubts that he was one for the more extravagant things in life. The sets of his shows were often highly decorated, his fashion often included copious amounts of sequins and jewel tones, and anyone who asked him to decorate a venue for a special occasion would be quick to discover him debating whether to include fountains or ice sculptures. This also extended to his methods and choices of entertainment; as he once said, "why just sing a song when you can perform it?" Loud, flashy, and dramatic works were very often among his favorites; whether it was a movie, a musical performance, a theater production, or anything else, as long as it was theatrical, he would find himself the moth gravitating towards the flame.

  
In spite of this, though, there were times when even he was in the mood for something simpler. And this was one of those times.

  
Mettaton had just returned from his most recent tour the previous day; while he'd found himself missing many of his friends while he was away, he held a particular yearning in his heart for Papyrus. The two had been dating for years at this point, and even though they could always talk to each other on the phone or through video chat, Mettaton felt that it just wasn't the same. Hearing Papyrus' voice through a phone or seeing his face on a screen, while certainly nice, couldn't hold a candle to cooking dinner alongside him, or singing along to the radio with him as he drove them somewhere (Papyrus always seemed to like driving), or falling into sleep mode while Papyrus was cuddled up next to him, gently running his bony fingers through Mettaton's hair.

  
While he had been contemplating this for quite some time, it was only during this tour that he finally decided to act on it. Early one morning, before he had to do anything else, he put on a disguise and headed into town, picking up a little present for Papyrus; he was back in his hotel room before anyone recognized him. (For this, he was certainly grateful; given that Papyrus tended to follow news about him, if anyone had recognized him and put two and two together, it would be all over the news media before he could surprise Papyrus.) He kept this present in a safe place until it was time to go home; while it was too late in the night to enact his little plan on the night he returned home, he was perfectly ready to do so the next day.

  
Mettaton spent the earlier parts of the day catching up with some of his other friends, but once it was dinner time, he completely set his sights on Papyrus. They started their little date night with a trip to a nice restaurant; as tempted as Mettaton was to give Papyrus his present right then and there, he resisted the temptation, knowing that there might be onlookers. From there, they went to a late-evening showing of a movie Papyrus wanted to see; even though this wasn't one of Mettaton's movies, the two still had a lot of fun, discussing their favorite parts after getting back in the car. However, Mettaton had one more plan for tonight; it was time to break out the big guns.

  
Papyrus listened closely as Mettaton directed him on where to drive. However, as he saw a familiar peak come into view, he briefly glanced at Mettaton, his expression stamped with confusion.

  
"Nyeh? Is this Mt. Ebbot?" At Mettaton's nod, Papyrus continued. "Why are we going to Mt. Ebbot? Did you just remember that you've forgotten something underground?"

  
"Oh, no, darling. We're not going underground." Mettaton tried to hide his slight trembling; that small box in his pocket was feeling more and more massive with each passing second. "I just wanted to look at the stars with you, and I've heard from a very reliable source that it's best done away from city lights."

  
Mettaton silently thanked Sans for giving him that information, while simultaneously praying that Papyrus didn't catch on to what he really wanted to do.

  
"Oh! Well then! I, Papyrus, will gladly take us both there!" He grinned. "Wowie... I get to look at the stars alongside my favorite star!"

  
At this, Mettaton sunk into his car seat a bit, relief (and warm feelings from the compliment) settling over him. There was still a slight gnawing in his soul, though; he wasn't out of the woods yet.

  
When they had finally made it there, Mettaton retrieved a blanket from the trunk and led Papyrus into the mountain area (which had, in the past years, been designated a national park). After finding an area that appeared to be secluded enough, he laid down the blanket and invited Papyrus to lie on it with him.

  
And so, after a little shuffling around until both were comfortable, Mettaton was tucked into the crook of Papyrus' arm, staring at the night sky; Papyrus was using his free hand to point out specific constellations.

  
"I recognize those three stars! That's Orion's belt, isn't it? I've heard he was a great hunter." Papyrus looked around and pointed at his next find. "Oh! And that one's the Little Dipper! That star on the end is called the North Star; I've heard that, if you can see it, you know where north is, and then you can find your way home!"

  
Mettaton gently smiled at his boyfriend's words. _That I have, darling. That I have._

  
As he lazily continued listening to Papyrus tell him everything he knew about the night sky, he felt a deep warmth in his soul. As much as he loved loud, extravagant events, every now and then it was nice to have a little peace and quiet, especially after a long tour. Indeed, aside from Papyrus' voice, the only other things he could hear right now were some chirping crickets and the whirring of his own internal systems. The only light around came from the moon, the stars, some small lights placed down for the benefit of hikers and other tourists, and the faint glow of Mettaton's own soul casing. He was sorely tempted to close his eyes and give in to the peace of the night, but he kept his eyes open, continuing to observe the different features Papyrus pointed out. Besides, he hadn't yet done what he'd really come here for.

  
When Papyrus had run out of things to describe and had fallen silent for a few minutes, Mettaton decided to put his two cents in. "Remember when the ceiling crystals in Waterfall were the closest thing we had to the night sky, and seeing the real thing felt like nothing more than a pipe dream? Heh... it certainly feels like it's been an eternity since then, hasn't it, darling?"

  
"It does! And we can go back and forth between the Underground and the surface whenever we want to now!" Papyrus' face fell a bit. "It's too bad there aren't as many puzzles on the surface..." He brightened up again. "But that's what games and mysteries are for, right?"

  
"Absolutely." Mettaton thought back on how much things had changed over the years. The Underground had become a popular place to visit, whether by monsters who slightly missed their old home, or by humans who were curious as to how the monsters lived. By now, monsters had been born who had never known anything about when life for monsters was confined to the Underground; Alphys and Undyne's daughters were two such monsters whom Mettaton and Papyrus knew personally. Mettaton's performances on his show and his collaborations with various human celebrities had helped give humans and monsters some common ground; Papyrus had gotten a job as an auto mechanic, and was always friendly to every customer, whether human or monster, who needed his services, to the point where his reputation had started to precede him. (Mettaton remembered the tears of joy in his boyfriend's eye sockets the first time he discovered a positive review that mentioned him specifically.) Frisk had become an adult by now, and did everything in their power to make sure that humans and monsters stood on equal ground.

  
Suddenly, Papyrus saw something moving across the sky. "Nyeh! Is that...?" He sat up a little, looking carefully, before frowning. "Oh no, it's just a plane." Lying back down, he looked at Mettaton. "I thought it was a shooting star. Sans told me once that, when humans see shooting stars, they make wishes."

  
"Do they?" Truthfully, Mettaton had heard many different bits of human folklore about wishes. Some humans wished on any star they saw, some only wished on the first star they saw that evening, and some wished on the moon. Others would wish whenever the clock read 11:11, or whenever they blew on fluffy dandelions, or whenever they blew out their birthday candles. He had heard of the shooting star mythology, too, but had never seen it in action.

  
Papyrus nodded. "I wanted to make a wish, but it was just a plane." After a brief silent moment, he spoke again. "Oh, I just thought of something!"

  
"Oh?" Mettaton raised an eyebrow.

  
"If you don't mind me asking..." Papyrus rolled over somewhat so he was facing Mettaton more. "If that plane actually was a shooting star, what would you have wished for?"

  
"What would I have wished for...?" Mettaton gently rubbed his chin with his finger, deep in thought. "Honestly, it's hard to say." He meant it in more ways than one. "In the past several years, I've gotten so many things that I've wanted. We've all come to the surface, I've gotten to perform for humans and monsters, who love my performances, my family has come back together..."

  
He took a deep, robotic breath, preparing himself for what he was about to say. There was no going back now.

  
"And all of you - you and Frisk and Alphys and everyone else - have shown me something that I realize I've always wanted: true friendship. None of you ever use my fame to your own personal advantage, or abandon me when I do something I'm not proud of, or act like my fans are worth nothing whenever I'm around." He slightly frowned, remembering some unfortunate run-ins with reporters. "I always feel like I'm welcome around you all, that just because I'm famous doesn't mean I'm any less of a friend."

  
He sat up, taking Papyrus' hand in both of his own. "And you, especially, Papyrus! I don't know how you manage to be so _nice_ to everyone. When we first met each other, I was worried that you were only nice to me because I was a celebrity, but after spending more time with you, I realized that you liked me for who I was, not purely because of my fame. And as much as I adore it when my fans tell me how amazing I am, I love it just as much when I can talk to someone who understands me personally."

  
His soul casing began whirring and his voice suffered a few brief, minor glitches as he continued. "You've been like a ray of sunshine in my life; I never feel lonely when you're around. Whenever the world throws challenges at me, you're always there to help me, or even just to listen as I vent. You help remind me of the good things in life, and even though I've known for so long that I'm amazing, I feel even more amazing when I'm with you. And... and I think you're just as wonderful as I am. My life would not be the same without you in it."

  
Papyrus couldn't help noticing that the normally charismatic, self-confident, and well-spoken Mettaton seemed nervous about something; his voice only glitched like that when his battery was low, or when he was feeling apprehensive. In turn, Papyrus himself was worried; he found his other hand gently touching Mettaton's hands. "Do... do you feel okay, Mettaton? Is there something on your mind?"

  
At that moment, Mettaton knew he'd hit the point of no return; it was time to either succeed or fail, and running away would be an automatic failure. He gathered his emotions before speaking again.

  
"I'm fine, sweetheart. What I'm really trying to say is, you've been such a wonderful boyfriend, and..." He looked around, making sure there wasn't an audience (rather ironic for him, he internally noted), and leaned in closer to Papyrus, whispering to him. "I want us to be more than just boyfriends, darling."

  
... _Oh._

  
"You... you mean you want to--"

  
Papyrus trailed off, watching Mettaton let go of his hands. He slowly sat up as he watched his idol, his dear friend, the man he loved drop to one knee in front of him and take out a small velvet box, opening it to reveal a beautiful ring. He saw Mettaton looking at him with an honest feeling of love in his eyes, felt the warmth in his soul, and then he realized it - this was how he made Mettaton feel on a regular basis.

  
"Will you marry me, Papyrus?"

  
(Papyrus realized that he should have known there was a reason Mettaton was asking him his opinions on jewelry in recent months.) He could barely reply at first, so many thoughts firing at once, he never thought he could smile even wider than he usually did and yet here he was doing just that right now, and then the words finally came.

  
"I accept!"

  
The next moments were a blur. A ring being slid onto Papyrus' finger, the two entering a tight embrace, plenty of kisses and "I love you"s and "I love you too"s and tears of joy and silent wishes that this moment would last forever...

  
...and pretty soon, the two were lying on the blanket once more, staring up at the night sky again. Papyrus' hand, newly adorned with a ring, was gently combing through Mettaton's hair as he remembered more things about the night sky and told Mettaton all about them. Mettaton cuddled close, enjoying the peace and quiet again, even more now that he had succeeded in what he came here for.

  
"Of course, as I have said before, you are my favorite star," Papyrus whispered.

  
Mettaton opened one eye; he hadn't stopped smiling since Papyrus accepted his proposal. "Then you're my North Star. I look at you, and I know where my home is."

  
Feeling more happy tears come, Papyrus gently kissed Mettaton's forehead (with help from his magic, of course) and leaned in a little closer. He never would have imagined that this would happen back when they were underground, and he was nothing more than one of Mettaton's many viewers; Mettaton himself had never even imagined that he would fall in love with a fan who he didn't even know existed specifically at the time. And yet, at this moment, neither of them minded at all.

  
They would have plenty of time tomorrow to reveal their engagement to their friends and family; there would also be plenty of time in the next week for Mettaton to tell the media about it.

  
But for now, it was just them and the stars, isolated and yet anything but lonely.


End file.
